Thai Prisoners Train in Olympic Boxing

ZHANG:
For most inmates crammed into Thailand's prisons, fame, fortune, and freedom are just pipe dreams.

But for around 200 inmates training at this Bangkok prison, the dream could come true--if they can win a place on the country's national boxing team.

STORY:
Inmates can take up boxing at Bangkok's Thonburi Prison. And if you have what it takes to be an Olympic athlete then you get special treatment here.

While other prisoners work in kitchens or hot laundry rooms athletes are allowed to train. The process is long and arduous.

Fighters are picked to represent their prison through individual boxing tournaments.

And the winners from other prisons are later sent to Thonburi prison for more intense training.

[Longsan Kamsiensuk, Prisoner]:
"I want to go to the Olympics like the gold medal winner Somjit."

Many of the fighters want to follow in the footsteps of former pickpocket
Amnat Ruenroeng. He won a bronze medal as a junior flyweight at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2007.

And was then released from prison for good behavior the following day.

[Preeda Nilsiri, Thonburi Prison Chief]:
"Most of the inmates here want to be like Amnat. They try hard to become a boxer. Many of them put their names down to compete in the inmate boxing tournaments to represent the Corrections Department."

Inmates say the three to six hours of training a day boosts their self-esteem and gives them the discipline to live life on the straight.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Ntd
• NTDTV
• news
• Thailand
• Prisoners
• Inmates
• Fighters
• Train
• athlete
• Olympic
• Boxing
• Bangkok
• Thonburi
• Prison

[Sjutti8]

This is good, Sports should provide people a chance for change. Especially since the thai government have extremely long sentences for petty crimes.

[goodnarit]

A good program I think.

[whales]

America should adopt the same thing

[ephii5]

they say they train for 6 hours a day why are they still so little? like idk i guess i just expect some one who works out for 6 hours a day 2 be jacked as hell

[angrygunsmith]

hmmm, well if mike tysons prison had this initiative, id expect him to be released the next day also for winning the world heavyweight belt!!

[angrygunsmith]

good program, but its no working so great, if all they had was an amateur boxing champion, amateur boxin is just plain shite.

[HolloxX]

ahahah i kill u with 1 punch noob

[InTheFleshForever]

LMAO !! U fucking jerk... Muay Thai is hard core.

[HolloxX]

ahahaha boxing is better than muay thai naab, Muay thai its 4 pussys of space

[InTheFleshForever]

boxing is fore pussys. why not train muay thai ?

[racenemo]

I guess anything better than eating cockroaches and doing time for minor crimes.

[anthonycotillo]

a great program for inmates